Hatcheries, Day Old Chicks

I agree with Ozexpat, it is the response to the problem that matters. I have not ordered from MPC but I have from MM and I am quite pleased with the birds I received. They are far from show quality but they are healthy and vigorous and as adult birds exactluy what I was looking for.

I am always so sad to hear when people have had trouble with chick orders... it is a terrible loss and I can't imagine how devastated I would be to open a box of dead chicks. That said, I had a great experience with MPC. The four hens I ordered from them in July arrived safely. I was super paranoid about the heat and rushed to the PO at dawn to fetch them... fortunately, they all sprung out of the box peeping. I believe they came from Meyer. They have been incredibly healthy and well tempered since with no problems (aside from pooping on my patio cushions and digging up my gardens). These are my first chickens, so I don't have experience with other stock... but they are very sweet girls and I adore them.

I've used MPC twice and had great results both times. I still have some of the birds I ordered from them six years ago, all arrived live and healthy, accurately sexed and of good quality. I've only used one other hatchery and it was for meat birds, but all chicks arrived from there alive and healthy too and they were shipped clear across the nation in the cold of March.

I had a bad experience with 6 R.C.R.I.R. I hatched. Had a bad experience with 8 J.G.'s I ordered from a hobby farm. Best results was with the ones I bought at my feed store. They use only PRIVETT Hatchery. (Az. I think) I just can't imagian the heartbreak of recieving dead or deformed chicks. So sad.

That is sad. Even though they are just baby chicks that the company just marks down a loss, the poor things suffered alone in a box and died. Each chick has its own special personality I think. I got my pet rooster from meyer hatchery but we drove an hour there to get it. They showed me a tub with a heat lamp and probably a hundred chicks in it and said they were all females and that they had been sexed by eye. (or hand) I guess they said they can tell by looking at them what they are. But this being my first chicken I didn't know anything. A man had come in a was roughly picking up ten at a time and just tossing them into a box. He said they would be eaten someday. So when one chick fell, I grabbed it up and wouldn't give it back. Long story short. I was starting to wonder why my chicken never laid eggs and was cockadoodling but eventually figured it out that he was a rooster. Hes now our baby but still kicks sometimes. Especialy strangers. But I guess that's in their nature. I really just wish that the people and companies handling chicks and chickens could be a bit more loving. They have feelings and are pretty much gonna get their life sacrificed so a human can eat it one day. But I love peeper. (my rooster) Oh yeah. He has 5 or 6 toes on each foot and huge feet. Is that normal?

Seventy five % of the big hatcheries are just the middle man. I this for a fact. Just think there is no way these big hatcheries could have all theses different breeds in all theses pens and man power to maintain. They take your order and money of what you want then have make phone calls to so called breeders and find your breed. These breeders already have the hatcheries boxes and lettering ready to go. How man times have you seen the dates when they are available and not. If you want what you paid for go to a small breeder and start a relationship with them and you will get what you paid for. The bigger the name in poultry hatcheries they are just the middle man. It is sad that honest people just basically are being taking for a ride. Small breeders is the best way. Best Regards fowlplayfarms.

Sorry for the miss spelling of some words

I'm not sure if it is 75% that do not raise their own, I know there are a few, but they do not hide that information. Even some of the larger hatcheries who raise their own do not raise them on site. They are raised by private farms for the hatchery for biosecurity reasons. I ordered form Murray McMurray as far back as 25 years ago and they seemed fine with exceptional customer service. I have not ordered from them in many years but I know there are isolated mishaps with all hatcheries/breeders out of the control of the seller. More importantly is how they handled the situation. Deformities can also happen with the best breeders, and slip by from time to time, again it is how the situation is handled once it is brought to their attention. They traditionally are not as concerned with genetics when they are shipping 1000's of chicks at $3.00 a chick as much as a breeder who raises $150 chicks and sells far fewer.. One is breeding for production birds and the other for quality birds. Some hatcheries have a section where they offer the option to order show quality breeding stock at a little higher price as well.

If I were ever to but chicks from a hatchery, I would use Cackle Hatchery. You will get what you ask for. Ron...The Australorps they breed ARE purebred. They do not send out just any black chicken like some hatcheries and they have their own breeding facilities.

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm friends with the owners and I sold them production stock some years back.

How right you are! I've used Ideal once when ordering mixed layers for a friend and found them prompt and reasonable. I usually want to order females only of specific breeds in small numbers and they don't do that so I end up ordering from My Pet Chicken. Being so far away ( I live just north of San Antonio in Boerne) their shipping rates are huge. I recently used Meyers and they were more reasonable. It is nice to order local. I started the Boerne Backyard Chicken Meet Up group to try to get and share more information, especially about more local sources. We are thrilled with H & H organic chicken feed made in Texas. It is superior quality, less expensive than most organic brands, and locally available.

The only time I had trouble, I called and they refunded my money immediately. They were also polite and had an accurate record of my order. They have a wider selection of breeds, and I have always been able to find a date for them to all arrive the same day. I don't mind ordering in advance. I even rather do so. Looking forward to this year's order!

Can anyone recommend a hatchery in Colorado?

What about www.mypetchicken.com? Is Meyer farms always open to shipments?

Never order from My Pet Chicken, they may have some good chicks but they don't even hatch their own chicks! They go to hatcheries, and most hatcheries they use are poor quality, anyway they give orders to them and tell them when to ship. Most of my friends and family have tried mypetchicken and haven't had nearly as good success as any of the other hatcheries. If you want to order a small quantity go to idealpoultry.com, they have a great selection and they have great customer service!

I agree Ideal Poultry is pretty good. I am close enough that they ship and arrive at my post office the next a.m. the only thing I don't like is that they sometimes send lots of packing peanuts with your order.

Ideal Poultry is very good! Very cheap shipping and everything! They do send packing peanuts......we ordered 9 chicks and got 10 packing peanuts. One Silkie chick ended up dying too. But the rest were very healthy and adorable! (I know, I know ALL chicks are aodrable!)

Yes! Love Ideal! Shipping was only like $7.00.